This invention relates to a hand-held wallpaper steamer for use in stripping wallpaper and other surface coverings secured to the surface by a heat and/or moisture softenable adhesive.
Such steamers have been proposed in which steam from a steam generator exits into a steam chamber at the base of the steamer. The steam chamber has a peripheral wall and is open at one face and the open face is held for a short period of time against wallpaper to be stripped. During that time, some of the steam condenses and a little moisture forms on the surface of the wallpaper. On a wall, such moisture does not inconvenience a user of the steamer, but if the wallpaper is on a ceiling or other horizontal surface above the user, the moisture tends to drop into the steam chamber and collect there and may impair the passage of steam into the steam chamber from the generator.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wallpaper steamer in which that problem is overcome.
According to the present invention, a hand-held, wallpaper steamer for use in stripping wallpaper comprises a housing with a base portion open at one face to form a steam chamber with a peripheral wall which is placed against wallpaper to be stripped, and in which the base portion has a peripheral channel adjacent to and inwardly of the wall, the channel being open in the direction of the one face. In another form of the present invention, the hand-held, wallpaper stripper comprises a housing with a base portion open at one face to form a steam chamber with a peripheral wall which is placed against wallpaper to be stripped, and in which the base portion has a groove for collecting moisture.